15 Careers for Math Wizards that you have probably not heard of

Manish Kumar

Jul 31, 2018 13:22 IST

15 Career Options for Math Wizards

Do you solve maths to take a break from other subjects? Do you see numbers, patterns, and formulae wherever you go? Do your friends ask for help every time they get stuck in Mathematical calculations? Then you’re a math wizard!

Like most math wizards, you may have been advised that Science is the only stream for you after completing class 10, and that your future lies in traditional engineering fields. However, what you haven’t been told is that Math geeks like you have many more choices apart from Engineering. Some of these choices fall under Science, some under Commerce, and some even underthe Arts domain. These careers focus solely on mathematical, analytical and problem solving skills. Here is a list of 15 such careers that you have probably never heard of:

1. Actuarial Scientist: One of the toughest careers! As an Actuarial scientist, you will analyze and predict risks. This means that you will use financial data, statistics, economic policies, and gauge the happenings across the globe, to predict future risks. You will usually work with insurance companies, governments and large scale organisations. You will usually decide the rate of interest, bonuses, and dividends that these companies offer to their customers.

2. Cost Estimator: Your company wishes to launch a product, for example, an umbrella. Cost estimators will collect data from other umbrella manufacturing companies. They will factor in what is unique about how you wish to manufacture your umbrellas and the difference between your umbrellas and others. They will analyse all of this data, and estimate the time, money, raw materials, and labour that will be needed to manufacture your umbrellas. This applies to any company that is manufacturing a product, constructing a building, or providing a service. Which is why, most companies cannot do without cost estimators and this makes it a very interesting career option.

3. Economist: As an Economist, you will analyse the production and distribution of products and services. What does this mean? You can either work with governments and study how changes in economic policies, import and export trends across the world can affect the economy of the country. You will develop policies to boost the economy of the country, equally distribute wealth, and curb inflation rates. You can also work with companies to determine how governments and other competitors can affect the growth of their company.

4. Physicist: If you like both Maths and Physics, this is what you should go for! As a Physicist, you will study the principles that govern the structure and behaviour of matter, the interaction between energy and matter, and the generation and transfer of energy. You must be highly skilled at Maths to conduct research, analyse data, and discover new principles. You can specialise in Astrophysics, Chemical Physics, Computational Physics, and more.

5. Market Researcher: Consider the earlier example - your company wishes to manufacture an umbrella. Market researchers analyse user and market data to tell you what kind of umbrella their target audience wants - they can suggest variations in styles, sizes, and colours. They also deduce changes that you can make to your existing umbrellas and make them more appealing to their audience. Their analysis can predict if a particular type of umbrella will be a success or not. They conduct surveys and research on competitive products and how their interference would affect your market. Market researchers can specialise in either qualitative or quantitative research.

6. Mathematician: As a Mathematician, you will develop new mathematical principles, and understand relationships between existing principles. You will create models to solve real world issues in business, government, engineering, and the sciences. Theories developed by these mathematicians can be used in launching a satellite into space, explain occurrences in the universe, or simply predict industry trends in a city.

7. Statistician: As a Statistician, you will design surveys, opinion polls, and experiments to collect data from various sources and for various reasons. Many statisticians work with the government. For example, you can gauge the popularity of decisions and policies made by the government, while others may work on the effects of external factors on finance and other departments. You can also work with private firms, in the health-care, insurance, finance, and economic fields.

8. Mathematics professor: Mathematics is a vast subject and is taught in many colleges and across many courses. Mathematics professors in the top colleges are highly respected, and Math professors in schools are responsible for developing essential life skills among their students. You can specialise in Maths to teach in various fields like Engineering, Accounts, Finance, Economics, pure Maths and Stats, Chartered Accountancy, etc.

9. Chartered Accountant: As a Chartered Accountant (CA), you will majorly work in Accounting, Auditing, and Taxation. You will monitor and record the flow of money through a business or organisation. You will verify the accuracy of all monetary transactions and ensure that all these transactions are legal. Strong mathematical skills are required to understand complex transactions and the implications of government tax policies on the revenue of a company or an individual.

10. Astronomer: You can unravel the mysteries of the universe! Astronomers study the composition, occurrences, and movement of various planets, stars, and nebulae. As an Astronomer, you must excel at Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. You will attempt to discover the secrets behind the creation of the universe, black holes, solar flares, and help find scope of life on planets beyond our reach.

11. Meteorologist: Meteorologists observe, explain, and forecast the earth’s weather. As a Meteorologist, you will need mathematical and analytical skills to understand data provided to you by years of weather reports and satellites. This profession is becoming increasingly popular due to the earth’s apparent climate change. You will study rainfall patterns, warning governments of flash floods and famines. They are responsible for forecasting weather phenomena such as hurricanes and thunderstorm and in turn, help save millions of lives every year.

12. Aerospace Engineer: As a child, have you ever been fascinated by how your toy plane works? Aerospace engineers design planes, spaceships, satellites, and missiles. As an Aerospace Engineer, you will also look at the safety and financial feasibility of designs. You will test prototypes to check whether they meet the design goals and safety standards. You will also inspect faulty and damaged crafts to understand the problem and discover possible solutions. You can specialise in fields like structural design, navigation, robotics, and propulsion.

13. Operations Research Analyst: Consider the earlier example - you want to manufacture umbrellas. While setting up your business, you will consult Operations Research Analysts, who will improve the entire manufacturing and distribution process. They will increase your cost effectiveness and try to decrease the labour required to produce your umbrellas. They will also find out where and why are the sales highest, and try to improve them even more. They are high-level problem solvers who will make your business a success.

14. Insurance Underwriter: They are responsible for ensuring that insurance companies make a profit! As an insurance underwriter, you will determine if a particular house, car, valuable, or individual should be insured. You will use advanced mathematical tools to determine the cost of this insurance to the company. You will also be responsible for drafting the terms and conditions of various insurances.

15. Financial Planner/Analyst: As a Financial Planner, you will analyse the financial needs of individuals and companies. You will help them with investments, tax laws, and insurance decisions. To do this, you will be required to observe economic trends, regulatory changes, and the client’s comfort with risky decisions.

As you can see, if you are a math wizard, then sky is the limit for the opportunities open to you. Instead of restricting yourself to the few traditional career options, consider one of these 15 career options to realize your true potential and make a wise and informed career decision.

About the Author:

Manish Kumar graduated from IIT Bombay in 2006 with a degree in Metallurgical and Materials Science. He then pursued masters in Materials Science Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. Post his graduation, he joined Indian School Finance Company, where he was part of the core team responsible for business strategies and growth. In 2013, he co-founded SEED Schools, a venture focused on improving quality of low-cost K-12 education in India with a vision to make quality education accessible. He is currently Vice President of Product - Learning & Pedagogy at Toppr.com.

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